You Never Forget Your First Love
by Kristen3
Summary: Alternate ending/continuation of 1.13, "Love is in the Air." SPOILERS! Steve makes one more try to win DJ's heart. Can the advice of her younger sister show DJ that the right choice has been in front of her the whole time? One-shot.
**Author's Note:** I've been dying for _Fuller House_ to come out, and now I've binged it in a weekend. I sort of knew I'd be doing something on it eventually, especially after seeing DJ in the love triangle with Matt and Steve. I was 100% pulling for Steve, so I had to rewrite the season finale just a bit. Hope you like. :)

"I'm sorry," DJ said, as she and Steve walked toward the door. She tried not to think of the hundreds of times they'd made this very same walk in high school. The only difference now was that her father wasn't sitting on the couch, watching their every move.

"It's OK," Steve said, looking at the floor. He looked up at her again. "No, it's _not_ OK," he corrected. "Deej, I know that Matt is handsome, and I can see why that would get your attention. But you and I share history. You'll never have that with him."

DJ sighed. She looked into his eyes, and once again was flooded with memories. "I know, and a part of me wants to go back to that. I mean, you represent a time in my life when I was really happy. When this house was full, with Steph and Michelle, and Nicky and Alex. But I like Matt, too, and I can't ignore that, either."

Steve wanted to say something else, but no words came to him. He'd come here expecting to find that DJ had made up her mind and chosen him. But in a twist that surprised even DJ herself, she'd chosen neither of the two men who were interested in her. He knew part of what had led her to make that choice was her three sons. If she got into a relationship with someone, so would Jackson, Max, and Tommy. But Steve had met the boys, and things had gone well. He didn't think Matt had done that. Right now, the vet was at home, drowning his sorrows. Steve wanted to do the same, doing what he'd always done: eat. But he just couldn't leave here, knowing in his heart that he and DJ belonged together. They'd always known that, even back in school. Suddenly, he leaned forward kissing her. When he drew back, he looked into her eyes, and he knew they were both thinking the same thing: they shared a connection that went back decades.

Stephanie stopped short as she came through the kitchen door. She'd thought both guys went home, but apparently Steve was still here. It was wrong to eavesdrop, she knew that, but living in a house that always seemed to be full of people, privacy was hard to come by. She couldn't help spying.

"Steve, I'm so sorry," DJ was saying. "I know you and Matt want me to choose one of you, but I just can't right now. I've got three boys to take care of, and they need me right now. I can't forget about them, just to try to relive high school again. Maybe in a year or two, once they're a little older, I can move on. But not now. You understand that, don't you?"

Stephanie's heart broke as she saw the pain and disappointment in Steve's face. She'd never seen him like this. But then she looked at her sister's expression and noticed something else. Whether DJ liked or not, Stephanie knew she had to speak. "Deej, you're making a huge mistake."

DJ turned, shocked to see her sister walking into the living room. "Steph, were you spying on me?" Couldn't she ever get _one_ private moment in this house, without someone interrupting?

"I know you're mad, and you have a right to be, but I've gotta say something here. I've known you my entire life. We've shared a room for years. And I can honestly say, I've never seen you look at a guy the way you looked at Steve just now. Not Matt, or even Tommy. Your mind may not have decided, but I think your heart already has. You should pick Steve."

"I thought you were rooting for Matt," DJ said in confusion.

"I was. I mean, if this really was _The Bachelorette_ , I always root for the hottest guy. But this isn't a reality show. Deej, this is your life. You can't let looks get in the way of what you feel."

"Wow," DJ said under her breath. She'd never expected her little sister, who'd always followed a less-traditional path than most of the family, to believe in true love.

"What more do you need?" Steve asked, grateful that Stephanie had spoken up.

DJ looked back and forth from her sister to her first love. What they said did make a lot of sense. But could she really break Matt's heart for good? "I don't know…."

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a noise from the playpen, where Tommy was entertaining himself. He'd thrown one of his toys over the side, causing it to land on the wooden floor with a thud. The sound caused everyone in the room to look at the youngest of DJ's sons.

DJ went over to the infant, lifting him out of the playpen, and picking up the toy in one fluid motion. "Here you go," she said, kissing his soft cheek. Holding Tommy made her heart melt every time.

Tommy took the rattle in his little hand. He enjoyed the noise it made as he shook it. With his other hand, he reached over his mother's shoulder, as if trying to grab Steve from across the room.

"Looks like even Tommy knows who you should be with," Stephanie observed.

DJ looked back at Steve uncertainly. Choosing him would be so easy, but would it be right?

"Deej," Steve said, coming over to her. He put a hand on Tommy's head, ruffling the few blond hairs there. "I know how much your kids mean to you, and I would never get in the way of that. You guys lost your mom when you were young, too. I know you're scared. And that's OK. I'm scared too. But we can face anything together, right? We always have before."

Suddenly, DJ felt the walls inside her give way. Ever since Tommy died, she hadn't known what to do. If Stephanie and Kimmy hadn't volunteered to help her, there was no telling where she'd be right now. Single parenting was hard. It made her appreciate her dad even more, not to mention Joey and Uncle Jesse. Steve's life and hers had always fit together. Matt was a great guy, and a wonderful partner at the clinic. But she simply couldn't ignore the way she'd felt about Steve since she was 15. They'd come back into each other's lives by a twist of fate. She realized now that things like that just didn't happen, at least not outside of movies. She thought of her father, and how cautious he'd been about dating after the loss of their mother. Eventually, he found happiness with Vicky, before moving on and marrying Teri. "I love you," she finally said, falling into his embrace. "I always have."

Steve held DJ and Tommy close for a long moment. "Me, too, Deej," he said. It might have taken longer than anyone had predicted, but DJ and Steve finally had their happy ending.

 **The End**


End file.
